Comprehension - Quick Overview of Spanish Dialects

Most of those differences are directly related to other languages that have influenced the Spanish spoken in a particular region or area.

There is some good news to remember and that is that nearly all native speaking Spanish people will be able to understand you no matter which dialect you may use. However, you might get a smile or two from them at your pronunciations. We tend to do the same thing with people who speak our own native tongue. Now, to help you understand the different dialects, let’s take a closer look at each one.

SPANISH DIALECTS

1. Castilian: This is the dialect spoken in northern and central Spain. In this area you will often notice that the 'c' has a 'th' sound.
2. Andalusian: This is the dialect of Spanish that is spoken in the southern part of Spain. It is the second most spoken dialect after Castilian. In the Andalusian dialect the 'd' and 'r' are pronounced differently and the 's' at the end of a word is often dropped or spoken so softly that it is hard to hear.
3. Murcian: This dialect is spoken mostly in Murcia which is a small community located in the southeast of Spain.
4. Distinct Language Groups: This really includes a number of minor different dialects that can be found in different regions in Spain such as those that are heard in the Pyrenees. That dialect there is known as Basque. In Andorra the dialect is known as Catalan. In Galicia the dialect is known as Galician and in a community in western Spain known as Extremadura, the dialect is known as Extremaduran. As so few people speak either of these dialects they have been grouped into the Distinct Language Groups. Each of these dialects has a strong Portuguese influence.
5. Canarian: This dialect is spoken mostly in Spanish areas of the Canary Islands. Words with an 's' and 'h' have different inflections. The dialect is also heavily influenced by the Portuguese language.
6. Llanito: This dialect is spoken mostly in Gibraltar. It is a combination of the Andalusian Spanish and British English. In short, it is Spanish with a British accent.
7. Latin American Spanish: This dialect is spoken in many areas, including Mexico, Central America, South America, Bolivia, Columbia and Peru. It is also the most widely taught Spanish dialect for non-native Spanish speakers to learn. Although in your own country you can hear the differences in dialects from region to region, many outsiders would not be able to hear this difference. However, a native Latin American Spanish speaker can easily distinguish a person from their region versus someone from Spain.
8. Rioplatense Spanish: This dialect is spoken in the River Basin area that lies between Uruguay and Argentina. The Spanish spoken in this area has been heavily influenced by the Italian language so it has an Italian flair to it.
9. Caribbean Spanish: This dialect is found in places such as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba and along the eastern coastline of Mexico and Central America. In addition, the 'r' is pronounced with an 'x' sound which is brought on by the influence of Portuguese.
10. Equatoguinean Spanish: That’s quite a mouthful. This dialect is spoken in Africa. It is a mixture of Spanish, Guinean and German.

Okay, you now have the ten most widely spoken Spanish dialects. Luckily, you only have to learn the one (Latin American)! Still, it is always a good thing to be aware of the different dialects, especially if you are travelling to one of the areas mentioned. If you do, then you can be better prepared to understand the native speakers.

Okay, it is time to move on to the quiz section. The questions have been set up to see how well you can remember the different dialects. Read them over carefully and from the answers provided, see if you can find the correct dialect.